“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” – Dr. Seuss

As we approach the end of 2023, I look back and reflect on the many positive outcomes that have been achieved and although it has presented its share of hurdles, our school community as always rose to meet every challenge with resilience, determination, and a shared spirit of support. Despite the ongoing staffing shortages, we have worked hard to be in a much better position than this time last year. Although we have two classes without a teacher, I am confident this will be rectified soon.

Graduation

Our recent graduation ceremony at Mulgrave Country Club was a beautiful celebration of the school journeys of nine of our students. We also got the chance to farewell two of our graduates who were unable to attend this event at school on Monday. Congratulations to Joshua, Scott, Aaron, Jack, Jaymee, Blake, Amelie, Ayla, Ali, Kaleb, and Dae Gyu. Special recognition goes to Joshua, the worthy recipient of the Principal's award, and Ali, the recipient of our SRC Award for their commitment and dedication. We wish all our graduates all the very best with their next steps. They will all be sorely missed by everyone here at Monash.

To Our Staff

As we reflect on the year, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous support and dedication of our outstanding staff that have been part of each of our children’s journey this year. They have been the guiding lights, offering not only education but also compassion, understanding and unwavering commitment.

To Our Families

Your efforts and contributions to supporting our school community have been awe-inspiring. As parents and carers, you play a pivotal role in the success of our students, and I look forward to continuing this journey with you into 2024.

Thank You School Council!

Without a strong and supportive school council the smooth running of the school would be impossible, and I can’t thank them enough for their positivity and valuable contributions they have given this year.

Thank You Parent Group

I also want to express my sincere gratitude to our amazing Parent Group for their outstanding efforts in fundraising. Their dedication to organising and participating in various fundraising activities has made a significant impact on our school community. They raised funds and paid for our beautiful reading chair for the new library. Parent group also organised graduate trophies for our primary students who are graduating from Primary and moving into Secondary school.

Capital Works

2023 saw the successful completion of our capital works project, culminating in the construction of our new building. This milestone marked a significant achievement for our school community. The state-of-the-art facility, a testament to the collaborative efforts of all involved, stands as a beacon of progress and innovation. The new building not only provides a modern and comfortable learning environment but also serves as a symbol of our commitment to delivering excellence in education. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to this project, and I look forward to witnessing the positive impact it will have on the educational journey of our students.

Farewells and Welcomes

As we bit farewell to some of our staff members at the end of 2023 including Amanda Wood, Mal Munasinghe, Leeana Raj, Chanel McArthur, Brianna Ballard, Bree Dawkins, Shermila Samarasinghe and Kat Vee Liew, we warmly welcome, Emma Perry (ES), Toby Russell (ES), Breeana Hill (ES), Siv Worner (Teacher), Paul Nicol (ES), Bridget Ellis (ES), Eimear Carroll (Teacher) and Esther McKee (ES). Also a very fond farewell to Abbey Crawley who has worked in the office for a number of years.

Despite our best efforts we have not managed to recruit everyone for next year yet but please be reassured we will be busy recruiting over the summer. We will only appoint the right staff that fit our school and the needs of our students. If we are unsuccessful, we will place casual staff into classrooms until we do.

The leadership team for 2024 will consist of:

Lindy Abernethy – Principal

Sandra Battisti – Assistant Principal

Elizabeth Mason – Leading Teacher (Early Education and Prep)

Patrick Goodman – Leading Teacher (Primary)

Luke Goodman – Leading teacher (Secondary)

Learning specialists for School-Wide Behaviour Support – Toby Dadson and Chris Patterson

Due to the impact of COVID at the end of this year and many students being absent on the last day your pack with teacher and ES staff for next year along with their IEP will be sent to you by post in the next few days if your child was not at school today. If they were here, their packs will be in their bags. Reports will also be released in the next few days on Compass.

As the year draws to a close, I wish our students, their families, and our staff a restful and festive season. Kindness, love, and gratitude to you all. I eagerly anticipate the opportunities and challenges that 2024 will bring.

Lindy

Group 7